After 2.5 years .. maybe it's time for an update :). But this time I won't tell you anything about my life. Because this site is not about my current life. It's about my life in Boston and Santa Barbara. And it's more than 3 years since I came back from there.

But it's still a big part of my life. I still have friendships all around the world. I still miss the people whom I haven't seen for years. But also I visit these friends so now and then, and they visit me.

Many people visiting this site because they are interested in traveling or studying in the USA too. I hope I can inspire these people to DO IT! Go! If you are open minded, are willing to adjust, are willing to discover, then go abroad! Not just for a vacation. That's a whole different thing than staying in a country for a longer period. Meeting the people, do what they do, see what they see.

If you have questions about my experience please feel free to ask. If you just want to read about my adventures, my life in Boston and Santa Barbara with EF, then click on the archive folders on the right and you will find all my adventures.

I'm working on a new website (v5.0) now. A website about my current life. So this will be my last blog on this current website ...

See you on my new website!

René Wolf

13.10.2009 22:13

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Own apartment

Wow! I was almost lost on my own website .. such a long time I haven't wrote anything here. I'm sorry! Just wasn't in the mood to write something .. but today I am!

Actually I don't know where to start. Almost 4 month after my last post. Lets start with my .. apartment!

My own apartmentYes! With lots of luck .. I found an apartment in the center of big city Utrecht. About 8 minutes by foot from the big train station. I moved to my new apartment at the end of January. I was so happy! Some friends helped me moving, painting the walls and ceiling, building my closet, and bed .. and still now there are lots of things to be done. But it doesn't matter, I have my own TV, own bathroom and kitchen, own doorbell and phone, a washing machine and a big bed! Me likey!

Visiting and visitSo .. what else happened? I visited Micka from Belgium again in the beginning of January. We had a great time again. And .. the food was delicious!! In February I visited Swantje from Germany. I met her in Boston too, and she lived with me in my 3rd and greatest host family (Vicky!). Hmmm, what did I do with Swantje? I remember .. fooood (Subway) and good cheesecake! Oh, and she showed me her university. I even joined her class! How boooor...interesting!! Good for me that I didn't had to do the homework! :P Oh, did I mention the vanilla steamer we drunk? Ummmmmm...Sunday February 11th I came back to Holland at about 23.00 and .. there was my next guest: Anne from Canada! Also a member of the 'Vicky-family'. I showed her a little bit of Utrecht and Amsterdam. She met my parents and sist....... Sister! Damn! Did you know that she had a baby? Yes! I'm uncle René! It's a boy called Joep! He's such a sweet guy, with a great smile! .. Well .. anyway .. Anne!She stayed for a week! And that was not long enough! We had a nice time, watching movies, joining a company dinner, climbing 'the Dom' (a famous cathedral in Utrecht).

So, what are the upcoming events?!1. Fathers birthday (60 years!)2. Visiting Andrea in Switzerland (Also a member of Vicky's family)3. .. maybe going to the USA again!? (I HOPE!!!) .. and of course some small events ..

Okay! I promise next post won't take another 4 months!

Some final words to my friends I met in the USA: I MISS YOU ALL!!

04.04.2007 23:04

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Time for an update!

Yes, I know. Time for an update. Lot's of things happened over here. Where should I start?

JOB!Since October 23rd I started my new job! I found a nice company in Veenendaal, in the east of the province Utrecht. Or actually they found me. I work 4 days a week, not because I'm lazy but because I have my own company to run too! I will do this one day per week, on Fridays.The company develops hotel software for customers all over the world but especially in the USA. One of my tasks there will be the development of their new website. I'm also working on their new online booking-engine. Exactly the job I was looking for!The only problem is getting there, in Veenendaal. It takes me a long time to travel. When all trains do what they are supposed to do it takes me about 1h20 (one way). But when there are problems with the trains (almost everyday) it can take much longer.

Visitor from BelgiumOctober 13-15, Micka from Belgium visited me! I met him in Boston where we stayed in the same hostfamily (my second one). We had a great time. I showed him Utrecht and a little bit of Amsterdam. It was weird to talk English in the beginning, but .. I think we got used both very fast. It was really good to see a good friend from the USA again. Soon I will visit him!

Finding my own apartmentIt's hard to find something. Especially because I want to live in the center of the city Utrecht. Since you have to sign up to get on a 'waiting list' and this waiting list is about 8 years now for Utrecht. I signed up 5 years ago, so I guess I must have luck, or just find another place to live.

Well, there is much more to tell actually. But now it's time to upload some new pictures. Pfff, I haven't even uploaded 25% of all my pictures. But I'll continue uploading.......

I'm back in Holland almost one month already and trying to start up a new
life: finding a job; finding a new place to live. My room is still a big mess,
all the stuff I took from the USA are still not sorted out. There are some
license plates leaning against my wall, my Boston-baseball hat, Daytona Beach
frisbee, the board broken by the Korean taekwondo team during international day,
some t-shirts I bought, a picture of a very good friend (Did you miss me?), my
suitcase, and lots and lots of papers, letters and notes I collected during my
time in Boston and Santa Barbara. The flag and a map of the USA are attached to
a shelf underneath my window. Everything has its own story, its own memory. My
room is too small to display this all.

I miss my exciting daily life in
America. Every day there was something going on, there were new people to meet,
new things to do, new things to explore. Back in Holland there is nothing new,
not yet. However I'm glad some of my friends have moved to other houses so I can
see some new places. Now I hope for a good job with my own car so I can visit
them all regularly!!

Last week I had my first job interview. Everything
went okay, and they wanted to see me again. I also had to do a test, which was
actually quite difficult. After the second interview (yesterday) I started
doubting about this job. Is this really what I want? Is this the kind of company
I want to work? These doubts made me decide not to do it. I'm lucky, there are
many companies looking for employers so I can choose and don't have to take the
first job offer I get.

After 8 months in USA I'm back home in Holland. Wow, it's weird. It's over. It's ... Dutch! Where is the Dunkin' Donuts? But actually I got used pretty fast to my house, room, family and friends. Almost too fast! But there are still so many memories. I
miss all the people, the supermarket, my host family and all those small
'unimportant' things. But it was also great to see all my friends again!

Trip with parents

My last 10 days in California I
spend with my parents as I told in my last blog. It was almost normal to see
them again, even after almost 8 months. Together we had a very nice trip. Of
course I first showed them Santa Barbara. Then we went to the Channel Islands
and visited Santa Cruz Island. On this island is nothing. I mean nothing as in
no supermarket, no showers, no food and no lights. Everything you need you have
to bring with you. We did some nice trips by foot and saw some special animals.
It was very nice! After this experience we continued to our next destination:
San Francisco. To get there we drove on the very interesting Route 1, a road
along the coast with amazing views. It was a great route with many things to
see. We stayed at an amazing camping between two mountains and at the coast. The
next day we continued our trip to and on the Big Sur, a region of California.
(Google Big Sur and see what we saw!). After sleeping on a camping at the coast
just 15 miles South of San Francisco we went into the city. I had an appointment
with one of my teachers (Sarah) from Boston who was there to visit her sister
who lived there. It was a great meeting! Las Vegas was our next goal! After
driving almost all day we arrived late in Las Vegas. It was my second time, but
it was still amazing .. all those buildings, lights casino's and people spending
money in it. The next day we drove on to the Grand Canyon; really amazing!! It's
soooo huge and totally different from what I expected. On our way back to Las
Vegas we ate in a typical Steakhouse on Route 66. Billiards, jukebox, cowboys,
Harley Davidson’s, and real stakes and burgers! Great! After another night in
Las Vegas we drove back to Santa Barbara to pack all our stuff and to get ready
for the plane back home...

Back home to/in Holland

After a not too long trip
(only 9,5 hours) I arrived back in Holland where many friends were waiting for
me with flags and even a reintegration-box! This was a big surprise, but .. the
biggest surprise was Saturday. My parents and sister and husband had organized a
surprise-party for me. WOOOW!! Really cool!

But now I have to start with real life: find a job; find a place to live for
myself. Make money until I have enough to travel again ..

I will never forget these 8 months and all the people I met! I will miss you
all!!